Publishing 101
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the publishing process, here's a short outline:
1) Write novel.
2) Send query to agents to seek representation.
3) Bite fingernails, chew Tums, pluck nose hairs (This is where I'm at).
4) Once an agent is acquired, it's his/her job to find a publisher for the novel. This is accomplished over lunch with various editors. Lots of schmoozing. Lots of Gin.
5) Editor likes novel and decides to buy the rights to publish it. Contract time. Negotiation over rights and how much $$$ author gets. This is called an advance. Stephen King got $400,000 for "Carrie." J.K. Rowling got $100,000 for the first "Harry Potter." Extremely rare. Most new authors get around 2-5 grand.
6) Novel gets placed in a publishing queue. Could take up to a year before author sees it in the bookstores. During this time there are editorial changes, the cover is designed, early promotional stuff. Meanwhile, writer is busy at work writing the next novel.
1) Write novel.
2) Send query to agents to seek representation.
3) Bite fingernails, chew Tums, pluck nose hairs (This is where I'm at).
4) Once an agent is acquired, it's his/her job to find a publisher for the novel. This is accomplished over lunch with various editors. Lots of schmoozing. Lots of Gin.
5) Editor likes novel and decides to buy the rights to publish it. Contract time. Negotiation over rights and how much $$$ author gets. This is called an advance. Stephen King got $400,000 for "Carrie." J.K. Rowling got $100,000 for the first "Harry Potter." Extremely rare. Most new authors get around 2-5 grand.
6) Novel gets placed in a publishing queue. Could take up to a year before author sees it in the bookstores. During this time there are editorial changes, the cover is designed, early promotional stuff. Meanwhile, writer is busy at work writing the next novel.
posted by Grant-Will-Rant at
9:57 AM
2 Comments:
You failed to mention step 4.5 in which both Agent requests an full revision of the manuscript, then the four or five editors who reject it, then the one editor who wants to buy it who makes you do a full rewrite, then a two revisions. Then the editor resigns, leaving your book in limbo. Agent sells your first born to get the the new editor on board even though he "isn't that into you." After this has all happened, you spend your $3k advance on the therapy you've gone through and pray that your book sells through, or else you'll be blacklisted forever.
Yeah... that step is a doozy.
By
Oliver Dale, at 7:46 PM, June 02, 2006
And that's why you're glad that Kelli and I told you all about the myriad flavors of TUMS.
Seriously, best wishes and I promise to buy lots of copies of your book when it comes out.
By
Kate, at 1:41 PM, June 06, 2006
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